Page:Forty Thousand Followers of Gandhi in Prison.djvu/15

 protest was made, the alarm was sounded and, it is said, that shooting also took place, causing injury to a few persons.

Meetings prohibited.

The normal activities of the Congress are very often restricted and efforts are made, though not openly, to prevent recruitment of members of the Congress. The attempt to suppress the Panchayats, I have already mentioned. Picketing of a peaceful kind for stopping the sale of foreign cloth or liquor is anathema to the Government officers, and they have stopped at nothing to discourage and put an end to this form of activity. The wearing of black turbans seems to have become a crime and in Lahore, at least, the wearing of a Gandhi Cap or black puggree sends the District Magistrate crazy. Under these circumstances, to carry on even the quiet constructive programme outlined in the Bardoli resolutions becomes very often difficult and it speaks volumes for the courage and perseverance of the workers here that they are pushing on their work with redoubled zeal undaunted by any persecution.

Press muzzled.

All the Nationalist newspapers have had occasion to feel the heavy hand of Government on them at one time or another and only the “loyalists” in sentiments have escaped scot free. But the circulation of the loyalist papers is very limited, as their combined circulation does not even come up to that of the nationalist paper with the least circulation. The principal nationalist papers have had to cease publication. The “Zamindar” has suffered the most, having had its press and 10,000 rupees security once confiscated, 2,000 rupees security confiscated two or three times in addition to having four sets of Editors and Publishers prosecuted and sent to jail, where they are serving the sentences. The “Akali,” except that it did not have its press confiscated has no less proud a record. The case against its fourth